On Thursday, the Chicago White Sox traded for outfielder Nolan Jones from the Cleveland Guardians. Chicago sent $250 thousand of international bonus pool money to Cleveland for Jones and cash considerations.
At the conclusion of Spring Training, the Guardians outrighted Jones from the 40-man roster. When he joins the White Sox organization, Jones will not immediately join the major league team. Jones goes to Triple-A Charlotte after being in Columbus, Cleveland’s affiliate.
Jones was a consistent major league contributor from 2022 to 2025. He broke out with the Colorado Rockies in 2023, where he hit .297/.389/.542 with 20 home runs across 400 plate appearances. He also finished 4th in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Unfortunately, Jones fell off the following season because of back issues and poor play. He hit .227/.321/.320 with three home runs over 79 games.
The Rockies traded him to Cleveland, where his performance failed to improve. He still struggled, batting .211/.296/.304 with a 28% strikeout rate. The Guardians tendered his contract but he failed to make any impression in camp causing them to outright him to Triple-A.
Chicago White Sox Trade Comes with Financial Benefits
The Chicago White Sox received some financial benefits from this deal with the Guardians.
Jones willingly joined the Triple-A team in Columbus, allowing him to keep his agreed salary from arbitration. He enjoyed a nice season in Columbus, hitting .275/.385/.460 with eight home runs through 226 plate appearances. While the strikeout rate is still high at 24.3%, the walk rate is at 14.2%.
With the trade finalized, the Guardians should pay an undisclosed amount of Jones’ salary. The White Sox will not have to pay Jones’ full salary in case he only remains in Triple-A.
The White Sox sent $250 thousand of international bonus pool money to the Guardians. They also sent $250 thousand of bonus money to the Phillies along with Derek Hill earlier today to receive a couple of minor league prospects in Dylan Campbell and Jose Colmenares.
Jones should serve as a depth piece for the White Sox in case they endure further injuries in the outfield. Chicago currently has Braden Montgomery on the Major League roster and Everson Pereira returned from the injured list.
Chicago Takes Division Lead Over Cleveland Guardians
After Wednesday’s win against the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago White Sox overtook the Cleveland Guardians for the division lead.
After Wedneday’s win against the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago White Sox took the AL Central division lead. For the last few weeks, the Cleveland Guardians remained the leader with Chicago right behind them. A trade between two division rivals battling for the AL Central title at this point is incredibly rare.
However, the White Sox continue to be one of the best stories of the Major League Season. Their placement a top the AL Central is their first since 2021 right before their struggles began. While Jones may remain in Triple-A, it seem interesting that the Guardians felt comfortable dealing him to Chicago. Chicago White Sox fans have to wonder if he will impact the division race towards the end of the season.
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